Players on poll pitch

As many as 10 candidates threw their hats in the Lok Sabha battle ring in four constituencies that will go to polls on April 24. Of them, five, including heavyweights three-time former Sindri MLA Anand Mahto, former women’s commission chief Hemlata S. Mohan and Bokaro MLA Samresh Singh, were from Dhanbad. Independent candidate Rupesh Kumar Mukherjee and Bahujan Mukti Morcha’s Kishor Kumar Murmu also joined the fray officially. The other five were Vijay Hansda (JMM) and Arjun Prasad Singh (Ajsu) from Rajmahal, Chaya Kol (CPI) for Dumka, Geeta Mandal (CPI-ML) and Damodar Singh (TMC) from Godda.

Anand Mahto

Party: Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC)

Time of filing nomination: 11.30am

Poll stand: “My fight is against the capitalists and if I go to the Parliament, I will work for the poor and marginalised sections of the society. BJP and Congress are two sides of the same coin. Their policies are anti-poor and in favour of capitalist forces,” said the leader, who was accompanied by former Dhanbad MP A.K. Roy and Nirsa MLA Arup Chatterjee

Hemlata S. Mohan

Party: Ajsu

Time of filing nomination: 1pm

Poll stand: “I am fighting for change. Since it came into existence 14 years ago, Jharkhand has not any development. Nor has Dhanbad. I have the support of women and enthusiasm of the youth,” said Mohan, former chairperson of Jharkhand State Women’s Commission

Samresh Singh

Party: JVM

Time of filing nomination: 1.30pm

Poll stand: “The state can progress only under Babulal Marandi (JVM chief). Thus, the people of Dhanbad should support JVM in the coming polls,” said the Bokaro MLA